Packaged liquid containers

ABSTRACT

A packaged liquid container comprises a closed flexible plastic bag, a liquid within the closed bag, and an emptying tube completely disposed within the closed bag and having an end able to pierce the wall of the bag from the inside, for emptying the liquid from the bag. In one disclosed form, particularly for containing beverages, the emptying tube is a drinking tube, preferably in the form of a drinking straw removably attached to a bead. The bead may be formed with one or more recesses and projections enabling a plurality of them, after their respective bags have been emptied and the beads removed, to be assembled together for amusement purposes. In other disclosed forms, useful for liquids to be poured out of the container, the emptying device is a funnel or a bullet-shaped pouring spout.

United States Patent 91 Feldman [4 1 May 1, 1973 [54] PACKAGED LIQUIDCONTAINERS [76] Inventor: Alter Feldman, 36 Shevat Zion St.,

Tel-Aviv, Israel [22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 11,552

[52] US. Cl. ..206/47 B, 46/25, 206/56 AA,

' 229 7 5 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 83/00 [58] Field of Search ..46/1l,15-17,

46/2528;63/D1G. 3; 128/214 D, 272; 206/46 F, 47 A, 47 B, 56 AA, 63.2 R;215/1 A, 32; 229/7 S [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,849,321 8/1958 Lhermitte et al. ..229/85 X 3,255,923 6/1966 Soto128/272 X 3,157,312 ll/l964 Kitterman ...206/47 R X 3,307,549 3/1967Zackheim 128/272 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 660,312 3/1963 Canada..63/DIG. 3

Primary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothberg Assistant ExaminerSteven E. LipmanAttorneyBenjamin J. Barish [5 7] ABSTRACT A packaged liquid containercomprises a closed flexible plastic bag, a liquid within the closed bag,and an emptying tube completely disposed within the closed bag andhaving an end able to pierce the wall of the bag from the inside, foremptying the liquid from the bag. In one disclosed form, particularlyfor containing beverages, the emptying tube is a drinking tube,preferably in the form of a drinking straw removably attached to a bead.The bead may be formed with one or more recesses and projectionsenabling a plurality of them, after their respective bags have beenemptied and the beads removed, to be assembled together for amusementpurposes. In other disclosed forms, useful for liquids to be poured outof the container, the emptying device is a funnel or a bullet-shapedpouring spout.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEBHAY H v 3.730336 SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG 8PATENTEBHAY H973 SHEET 2 OF a FIG] FIG.6

FIGS

PACKAGED LIQUID CONTAINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention The present invention relates to packaged liquid containers,and particularly to cheap and expendable containers which may be openedand the liquid removed, in a simple and convenient manner.

2. Description of the Prior Art A number of expendable liquid containershave been devised. One form in wide use today is simply a onetime-useglass bottle. Another form is made of plasticcoated cardboard. A furtherform is a metal can including a pulltab for opening it. All suchcontainers, however, are relatively expensive to produce. Also while theuser may drink from them directly, it is more common for the user toempty the contents into a glass before drinking same, or to insert astraw into the opened container. This requires an external drinkingdevice. In addition, they, particularly the metal can containers and theglass bottles, create serious litter and/or disposal'problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide new forms of packagedliquid containers having advantages in the above respects.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION According to a broad aspect of thepresent invention, there is provided a packaged liquid containercomprising a closed flexible bag, preferably of transparent plasticmaterial, a liquid within the closed bag, and an emptying tubecompletely disposed within the closed bag. The emptying tube ismanipulatable externally of the bag by flexing the bag and has an endable to pierce the wall of the bag from the inside, for emptying theliquid from the bag through the emptying tube.

In one disclosed form of the invention, the emptying tube is a drinkingtube. In accordance with a further important aspect of the invention,directed to this form, the drinking tube may comprise a drinking strawand a separable bead, one end of the drinking straw being adapted topierce the bag wall, and the opposite end of the drinking straw beingremovably inserted into the head. The bead may be formed with one ormore recesses, one of which is for the reception of the straw, and withone or more projections adapted to seat within the recesses of anotherlike bead. This enables a plurality of such beads, after theirrespective bags have been emptied and the beads removed, to be assembledtogether for amusement purposes.

In other disclosed forms of the invention, the emptying tube may be afunnel or a bu|let-shaped pouring spout, such forms being particularlyfor use with respect to liquids which are to be poured out oftheircontainers.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is herein described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates one form of packaged liquid container made inaccordance with the invention, this form being particularly applicablefor drinking liquids such as beverages:

FIG. 2 illustrates the liquid container of FIG. 1 being readied by theuser for drinking;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drinking tube used in the containerof FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates another form of emptying tube that may be used,namely a funnel for emptying the liquid DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS The container illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is particularlyfor use with a drinking beverage. It includes a closed flexible bag 1 oftransparent plastic material (e.g., polyethylene hosing) closed by heatsealing at its upper and lower ends, 2 and 2. If hosing is not used, thesides of the bag would of course also be heat-sealed. Disposed with theliquid within the bag, before the bag is closed, is a rigid drinkingtube 3, enlarged at its lower end by means of a knob or bulbousthickening 4. The upper end 3 of tube 3 is pointed, as by cutting sameat a bias, and the knob 4 is formed with an opening 4' in communicationwith the passageway through tube 3. Tube 3 may be formed integrally withknob 4 of plastic material. It is freely movable within the closed bagand may be moved therein by external manipulation of the bag.

When the user desires to drink the liquid in the container, he movestube 3, by externally manipulating the flexible bag, to cause thepointed end 3' of the tube to pierce the bag. This manipulation isfacilitated by knob 4, and the tube is sufficiently stiff so thatpushing knob 4 upwardly will apply a sufficient force to cause end 3' topierce the bag (FIG. 2). The user may then drink the liquid by drawingsame through tube 3.

For liquids which are to be emptied by pouring, such as motor oil to bepoured into a vehicle engine, the emptying tube would be in the form ofa funnel 5, shown in FIG. 4. The upper, smaller-diameter end 4' of thefunnel is pointed, and the lower end is enlarged by the provision of arim 6, to facilitate manipulation of the funnel within the tube.

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate variations in the drinking tube of FIG. 3. In allthese variations, the drinking tube is made of two parts, namely adrinking straw 10 and a separable bead e.g. 12 in FIG. 5. Drinking straw10 is pointed at its upper end 10' for piercing the bag wall, and itslower end is removably seated within bead 12. The latter includes a bore12 in alignment with the passageway through straw 10. The variationsillustrated in FIGS. 5-8 are advantageous not only in simplifying themanufacture of the drinking tube, but also in enabling part of thedrinking tube, namely the separable bead part, to be used as anamusement device, as will be described more fully below.

In FIG. 5, bead 12 is spherical in shape and is formed with acylindricalrecess l4 removably receiving, by a press-fit, the lower endof straw 10. After use, the straw may be removed, and bead 12 may beused as a marble for playing marble games, or it may be strung on astring to form a set of beads, etc.

In FIG. 6 (shown in section), the bead 22 is formed with a cylindricalrecess 24 for receiving the lower end of the straw, and at its oppositeend, with a projection 26 of the same size and shape as recess 24 so asto be received, preferably with a snap-fit, into a recess 24 of anotherlike bead. Thus, after the container is used, and the beads removed, aplurality of them may be assembled together in a chain without string.In addition, projection 26, at the lower end of the bead and throughwhich bore 22 passes, more effectively reaches all the corners of thebag and thus facilitates the complete emptying of the bag.

In FIG. 7, the bead 32 is formed with a plurality of recesses 34 andwith a plurality of projections 36. When used in a container, one recess34 receives the lower end of the straw 10, but after the liquid has beenconsumed, a plurality of beads 32 may be assembled in differentconfigurations and arrangements, in the nature of interlocking buildingblocks. As an example, each bead 32 may include three recesses 34 andthree projections 36.

FIG. 8 illustrates a similar construction as in FIG. 7, except that thebead 42 is cubical. Other shapes may also be used, and in fact it iscontemplated that different containers may include different shape beadsto enable a wide variety of constructions to be assembled. Bead 42 ofFIG. 8 includes a recess 44 on three of its faces and a projection 46 onits remaining three faces.

It is further contemplated that the beads could take other shapes, forexample simulating different animals. As one illustration, the beadcould be in the form of an elephant with the bore passing through thetrunk, to simulate an elephant drinking through its trunk. Also, thestraw may be press-fitted on a projection rather than in a recess ofthebead.

The drinking straw 10, in the embodiments of FIGS. I

-8, need not be as rigid as tube 3 in FIG. 3. For safety purposes itcould be bendable and collapsible by force, but it nevertheless shouldbe sufficiently stiff so as to permit its pointed end to pierce the bagwall when pushed from the bead end. Drinking straws made of stiffpolyethylene and polyvinyl chloride tubing, 0.2 mm in thickness and 4 mmexternal diameter, have been found satisfactory. Also, such drinkingstraws, with the bead attached, float in the liquid, and it has beenfound that filled bags may be packed horizontally with little danger ofaccidentally puncturing the bag.

FIG. 9, however, illustrates a variation for preventing accidentalpuncturing, wherein a protective cap 50 is applied over the pointed end52 of the emptying tube 52. The latter may be any of the forms describedherein. Cap 50 is preferably formed with a stiff enlarged head 50 toenable the cap to be easily removed by the user from the outside of thebag before moving the pointed end 52 to pierce the bag.

FIG. illustrates further variations.

For one, the flexible bag 60 is closed by heat-sealing at the top andbottom, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, but at the top the heat-sealing line 62 isbelow the upper edge so as to form a marginal strip 64 of plastic abovethe upper end of the bag compartment. This has been found to greatlyfacilitate the handling of the bag, and may also e used for removably hoding a small clarnp(not shown) that may be provided for temporarilyclosing the pierced opening in the bag when the contents are only partlyto be emptied at any one time. This of course may also be provided inthe other embodiments.

In addition, the emptying tube in FIG. 10, is in the form of abullet-shaped pouring spout 66. Spout 66 is formed with a pointed end 66for piercing the bag, and with an enlarged rim 68 at the opposite end.It is further formed with a longitudinal bore 70 terminating in aplurality of openings 72 at the sides of the tip 66', the tip beingsolid to facilitate its penetration of the bag. In use, spout 66 ismanipulated to pierce the bag and is then forced through it until itsenlarged rim 68 limits against the inner surface of the bag. The openedbag is placed over the container (not shown) receiving the liquid, withthe spout suspended within the container. The spout is preferablysufficiently long and weighty so that it steadily holds the bag inposition on the container while the liquid flows downwardly through bore70 and openings 72 into the container.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides new forms of packagedliquid containers which are cheap, expendable, substantially avoid thelitter and disposal problem of other containers, and which may be openedand emptied in a simple and convenient manner, on the spot and withoutthe need for extraneous devices.

Many other variations and applications of the invention will beapparent.

What is claimed is:

1. A packaged liquid container, comprising, a closed flexible bag,liquid within the closed flexible bag, and a drinking tube completelydisposed within the bag and manipulatable therein by manipulating theflexible bag, said drinking tube including a drinking straw and a beadformed with a through-going bore removably receiving the drinking strawand facilitating the manipulation of same externally of the closedflexible bag.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said bead is of sphericalshape.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein said bead is of cubicalshape.

4. A container according to claim I, wherein one end of said straw isreceived in said bead, the opposite end of the straw being pointed andadapted to pierce said closed flexible bag from the inside.

5. A container according to claim 1, when said flexible bag is oftransparent plastic material, the upper end of the bag being heat-sealedalong a line space from the upper edge of the bag to provide an uppermarginal strip.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein said bead is formed with atleast one projection adapted to seat within the bore of another likebead, enabling a plurality of such beads, after their respective bagshave been emptied and the beads removed, to be assembled together foramusement purposes.

1. A packaged liquid container, comprising, a closed flexible bag,liquid within the closed flexible bag, and a drinking tube completelydisposed within the bag and manipulatable therein by manipulating theflexible bag, said drinking tube including a drinking straw and a beadformed with a through-going bore removably receiving the drinking strawand facilitating the manipulation of same externally of the closedflexible bag.
 2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said bead isof spherical shape.
 3. A container according to claim 1, wherein saidbead is of cubical shape.
 4. A container according to claim 1, whereinone end of said straw is received in said bead, the opposite end of thestraw being pointed and adapted to pierce said closed flexible bag fromthe inside.
 5. A container according to claim 1, when said flexible bagis of transparent plastic material, the upper end of the bag beingheat-sealed along a line space from the upper edge of the bag to providean upper marginal strip.
 6. A container according to claim 1, whereinsaid bead is formed with at least one projection adapted to seat withinthe bore of another like bead, enabling a plurality of such beads, aftertheir respective bags have been emptied and the beads removed, to beassembled together for amusement purposes.